Thursday, September 17, 2009

Uganda Is Following Africa's Trend Of Ethinic Violence And Government Corruption

An crowd of protestors surrounds a burning bus in the Kampala suburb of Nalukolongo.
Photo AFP


Riots in Uganda: A Sign of Things to Come? -- Time Magazine

In a region that includes Kenya, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda can sometimes seem like the stable, sleepy neighbor. But appearances can be deceiving. For 22 years, the Ugandan government has been fighting the cult-like rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a conflict largely ignored by the rest of the world until the last few years, when the LRA extended its violent reach into southern Sudan and eastern Congo. And now it looks like Uganda is facing more fighting, this time between the government and the country's largest ethnic group. Last week, the capital Kampala erupted in bloody riots that left at least 21 dead and around 100 wounded. With an election scheduled for 2011, many fear that the latest burst of violence may be a taste of things to come.

Read more ....

Update #1: Riots in Uganda: In whose interest? -- The Economist
Update #2: US concerned about Ugandan violence -- AFP
Update #3: Museveni Blames Ugandan Riots on Opposition -- new York Times

My Comment: Uganda never completely recovered after Idi Amin's reign of terror and suppression in the 1970s .... and to continue with the tragedy, we now have an "autocrat/dictator" who may not have been as brutal as Idi Amin, but he is just as tyrannical.

I wish I could say that Uganda was the exception to the rule .... but it is not .... it is the rule. And everytime we hear our leaders talk about giving aid to Africa to help them with their problems .... remember that it is going to countries that are like Uganda (or worst).

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